Rear-opening hospital gowns are typically worn by patients in hospitals and outpatient medical facilities. The thin, lightweight cotton design of a conventional rear-opening hospital gown, which is loosely secured in the back via one or more fabric ties, allows an attending physician or nurse to easily access a patient's chest, shoulder, and back areas from the rear of the gown. Such gowns are inexpensive and easily laundered. As a result, conventional hospital gown designs have not changed much over the years, and are generally considered to be both cost and functionally effective from the perspective of a medical practitioner. However, from the perspective of a patient wearing a conventional rear-opening hospital gown, the patient is often left with a compromised sense of privacy and comfort.